Heliopsis  plant named ‘Summer Stripe’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Heliopsis , ‘Summer Stripe’, characterized by its inflorescences with yellow ray florets with red cones, foliage that is variegated with blades that are pink, green and creamy white in color with dark green veins, its stems that are dark reddish in color, and its ability to bloom predictably as a one-year-old plant.

Botanical classification: Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra.

Variety denomination: ‘Summer Stripe’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is co-pending with U.S. Plant Patent Applications filedfor plants derived from the same crosses in the Inventor's breedingprogram that are entitled Heliopsis Plants Named ‘Summer Green’ (U.S.Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/065,162) and ‘Summer Pink’ (U. S.Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/065,161).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHeliopsis plant, botanically known as Heliopsis helianthoides var.scabra ‘Summer Stripe’ and will be referred to hereinafter by itscultivar name, ‘Summer Stripe’.

‘Summer Stripe’ was derived from a controlled breeding program conductedby the Inventor at his nursery in Schwamstedt, Germany. The breedingprogram focuses on obtaining new cultivars of Heliopsis with novel leafand flower colors and superior garden performance. ‘Summer Stripe’ wasselected in 2007 by the Inventor as a single unique plant derived in2005 from the open-pollination between unnamed plants from his breedingprogram with the female parent identified with accession No. Clone exH04011 and the male parent identified with accession No. Variegatedseedling GU03.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished via stemcuttings in Schwarmstedt, Germany in 2008. The characteristics of thiscultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar of Heliopsis. Theseattributes in combination distinguish ‘Summer Stripe’ as unique from andall other varieties of Heliopsis known to the inventor.

-   -   1. ‘Summer Stripe’ exhibits inflorescences with ray florets that        are yellow in color with red cones.    -   2. ‘Summer Stripe’ exhibits foliage that is variegated with        blades that are pink, green and creamy white in color with dark        green veins.    -   3. ‘Summer Pink’ exhibits stems that are dark reddish in color.    -   4. ‘Summer Pink’ blooms predictably as a one-year-old plant.

‘Summer Stripe’ can be compared to its parents. The female parentdiffers from ‘Summer Stripe’ in having purplish green foliage withoutvariegation. The male parent differs from ‘Summer Stripe’ in lacking redstems. ‘Summer Stripe’ can also be compared to Heliopsis cultivar‘Loraine Sunshine’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,690). ‘Loraine Sunshine’differs from ‘Summer Stripe’ in having green stems, yellowinflorescences with a yellow cone, and lacking the ability to flower inthe first year. ‘Summer Stripe’ can also be compared to cultivars fromthe same cross ‘Summer Pink’ and ‘Summer Green’. ‘Summer Pink’ differsin having inflorescences with ray florets that are yellow in color withan orange base. ‘Summer Green’ differs in having foliage that lacks anypink coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Heliopsis. The photographs weretaken of a one year-old plant as grown in a 3.5-liter container in acold-story greenhouse in Lisse, the Netherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of a plant of ‘SummerStripe’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the leaves of‘Summer Stripe’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of‘Summer Stripe’. The colors in the photographs are as close as possiblewith the digital photography and printing techniques utilized and thecolor codes in the detailed botanical description more accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Heliopsis.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar collected onone year-old plants grown in 3.5 liter containers in cold-storeygreenhouses in Lisse, The Netherlands in June with day temperaturesranging between 18° to 30° C. and night temperatures ranging between 8°and 18° C. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations inenvironmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not beentested under all possible environmental conditions. The colordetermination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of TheRoyal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general colorterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming season.—Late spring to late summer.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, upright, clumping growth            habit.        -   Plant shape.—Globular to broadly obovate.        -   Height and spread.—About 33.1 cm in height and 43.1 cm in            width.        -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zone 4 up to temperatures as high as 35°            C.        -   Diseases resistance.—No susceptibility or resistance to            diseases has been observed.        -   Stress resistance.—Moderate resistance to rain, high            resistance to wind.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.-   Growth and propagation:    -   -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings and tissue culture.        -   Time from cutting to flowering.—Average of 20 weeks.        -   Crop maintenance.—No pinching or pruning required.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate, 10 cm per month.-   Stem description:    -   -   Stem shape.—Rounded.        -   Stem aspect.—Average 30° from vertical.        -   Stem strength.—Moderate.        -   Stem color.—197A.        -   Stem surface.—Young stems slightly pubescent, hairs 1 mm in            length, 155C in color, deciduous, mature stems glossy, and            glabrous.        -   Lateral branch length.—Average of 34.4 cm.        -   Lateral branch diameter.—Average of 3.5 mm.        -   Quantity of lateral branches.—About 6 per plant.        -   Internode length.—Average of 5.2 cm.        -   Branching.—Freely branched with basal and lateral branches.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf shape.—Ovate, strongly concave.        -   Leaf base.—Attenuate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf margin.—Finely serrate.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, upper and lower surface 146A.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Leaf surface.—Dull, upper and lower surfaces moderately            strigose, strigose hairs 0.3 mm in length, 157D in color.        -   Leaf color.—Young foliage; upper surface 155A with            reticulate variegation 143A in color, lower surface a blend            of 150D and 155A suffused with 75D with reticulate            variegation 143B in color, mature foliage; upper surface            155A with reticulate variegation N137C, lower surface 155C            suffused with 182B, reticulate variegation 143A.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 5.8 cm in length and 2.4 cm in width.        -   Petiole.—Smooth, 1.7 cm in length, 1.5 mm in diameter, upper            surface; moderately glossy, 146A in color, lower surface;            very glossy, 146A.-   Flower description:-   General description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal capitulum with many disc            florets, one row of ray florets, and two rows of involucral            bracts.        -   Flowering response.—9 weeks.        -   Rate of flowering.—Staggered starting from the terminal            inflorescence towards the youngest lateral inflorescence.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About 5 Weeks, persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—1 per lateral stem, 20 per            plant.        -   Inflorescence buds.—About 9 mm in depth and 1.3 cm in            diameter, flattened globular in shape, 145A in color with            immature involucral bracts 137A and suffused with a blend of            178A and 178B.        -   Inflorescence size.—About 1.8 cm in depth and 4.2 cm in            diameter, diameter of disk about 1.4 cm, height of disk            about 1.7 cm.        -   Receptacle.—Rhomboidal, about 6 mm in depth and 4 mm in            diameter, 155C in color.        -   Peduncle.—Round with axial ribs, moderately strong, 197A            suffused with 148A, about 14 cm in length and 2 mm in            diameter, surface is slightly pubescent.        -   Involucral bracts (phyllaries).—Oblong in shape, 14 per            inflorescence, arranged in 2 rows, broadly acute apex,            broadly cuneate base, margin entire, upper surface 143A in            color, lower surface 143C in color, about 1.1 mm in length,            5 mm in width, surface is dull and moderately strigose with            hairs about 0.2 to 0.5 mm in length and 157D in color on            upper and lower surface.-   Ray florets (capitulate):    -   -   Number.—Average of 14.        -   Arrangement.—Rotate.        -   Appearance.—Smooth, dull.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Aspect.—Slightly upright at an angle of 10° from horizontal.        -   Size.—Average of 2 cm in length and 9 mm in width.        -   Petal apex.—Emarginate to praemorse.        -   Petal base.—Cuneate.        -   Petal margins.—Entire.        -   Petal texture.—Smooth, slightly ribbed lengthwise.        -   Petal color.—Opening; upper surface 7A, lower surface 1A,            margins a blend of 6B and 7B, fully open; upper surface 14B,            lower surface 7A, color not fading.-   Disk florets (perfect):    -   -   Quantity.—Average of 100.        -   Shape.—Tubular, sympetalous with 5 lobes comprising upper            125% of floret.        -   Arrangement.—Spiral concentric towards center of disc.        -   Disk lobe apex.—Acute.        -   Disk lobe margin.—Entire.        -   Petal base.—Fused.        -   Petal texture.—Smooth, dull on inner and outer surface.        -   Size.—About 9 mm in length and 2 mm in width.        -   Color.—Bud; base 145C, mid-section 148A, apex 144C, opening;            base 145C, mid-section 154C, apex 1A,; fully opened; base            145D, mid-section 152D, apex 53A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Presence.—Disk flowers are perfect, ray flowers are            carpellate.        -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil per disk and ray floret, 7 mm in length,            stigma decurrent and 22A in color, style 5 mm in length and            a blend of 150B and 150C in color, ovary 145D in color.        -   Androecium.—5 stamen per disk floret, filament 2.4 mm in            length and 145D in color, anther linear in shape, 3 mm in            length, 203A in color, pollen moderate to abundant in            quantity and 17B in color.        -   Fruit and seed.—No fruits or seeds observed to date.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Heliopsis plant named ‘Summer Stripe’as herein illustrated and described.